Saturday, February 17, 2018

Who is Armored Dawn? Your guess as good as mine! Fear not, friend, for

the music writer Matt Spall (U.K.) decided to tell everyone about this band. Here is his review of Armored Dawn. You can find Matt tweeting away at the link at the end of this review. --MMB

Artist: Armored Dawn

Album Title: Barbarians In Black

Label: AFM Records

Date Of Release: 23 February 2018

AFM Records are one of the labels that stand out to me. Whenever I get an email from them, with a promo album attached, I always take a listen to see what they are offering. I’m glad I do, because once again they have come up trumps and given me another excellent album to explore and enjoy.

The name of the band is Armored Dawn and ‘Barbarians in Black’ is their second full-length album since their formation in 2011. The São Paulo-based Brazilian sextet is comprised of vocalist Eduardo Parras, drummer Rodrigo Oliveira, bassist Fernando Giovannetti, keyboardist Rafael Agostino, and guitarists Tiago de Moura and Timo Kaarkoski.

After streaming just one track off the record, I decided it was worth listening to and promptly downloaded the promo. It was a decision I have not regretted in the slightest because this is a properly superb album. Unfortunately, the ‘English’ bio is written in German, so my research was not easy. But no matter, because Armored Dawn deserve every moment spent on this review and the preceding background research, however difficult and arduous it may have been.

If my high school German is to be trusted, Armored Dawn have shared the stage in South America with such luminaries as Megadeth, Sabaton and Symphony X, demonstrating that they are already a well-known band in their homeland. I was staggered to discover also that Armored Dawn can boast more likes on Facebook than the aforementioned Symphony X, Iced Earth and Gamma Ray. I know these figures can be manipulated and it is not a true reflection of a band’s status in the world, but over half a million ‘likes’ is nothing to be sniffed at.

For all this, it is only now that I have heard the name Armored Dawn, a situation that is probably not that uncommon outside of South America and maybe a couple of other territories around the world. What I can guarantee though, is that things are about to change in that respect for Armored Dawn; ‘Barbarians In Black’, their first on the books of a record label, is going to turn a few heads, ruffle a few feathers and announce a new name on the heavy metal scene.

The band refer to themselves as simply a heavy metal band. However, their music is a cunning blend of many ingredients, making it the intriguing and exciting listen that it is. On a first listen, I immediately gravitated towards a power metal descriptor, given the catchy melodic choruses and sense of pomp and grandeur that surrounds a lyrical content fixated by war, battles and Nordic mythology. But then, as the spins became greater in number, I began to hear other nuances and influences. There’s a definite classic metal vibe to much of the material, as well as a dose of melodeath and a sprinkling of hard rock. It all comes together expertly to create an album that offers a surprising amount of variety and which has got me well and truly hooked.

Opener ‘Bloodstone’ sets things off beautifully with a frenetic up-tempo power metal beat, whilst keys tinkle gently under double-pedal drumming, strong bass work and melodic riffing. The verse is satisfyingly chunky with muscular riffing before the first of many killer hook-laden choruses kicks in. The guitars wail whilst Eduardo Parras delivers a commanding vocal performance that reminds me of Any B. Franck (Brainstorm) more than once. Naturally, there is room for a bit of flamboyance courtesy of a great lead guitar solo and the whole thing is simply irresistible.

‘Eyes Behind The Crow’ opens up in atmospheric fashion with a moody cinematic soundscape before being torn asunder by a no-nonsense classic metal riff and a steady mid-tempo stomp. However, the chorus has ‘Come Clarity’-era In Flames written all over it, albeit with Armored Dawn’s personal stamp still intact.

There’s a hint of Nevermore to the opening riff of ‘Chance To Live Again’, which rips along full of intensity and at a hefty pace, before slowing in the chorus to allow the hooks to make maximum impact. The layers of vocals add an epic quality too, which adds gravitas to an already fantastic track.

The fantastic music keeps coming, to the point where none of the ten tracks serves up anything approaching substandard or worthy of the word ‘filler’. It demonstrates professionalism and a consistency that’s truly impressive. That said, as good as the likes of ‘Unbreakable’ or the closing title track are, I have my favourites that fully deserve their moment in the spotlight.

The first of these is ‘Men Of Odin’ with its hefty, swaying waltz-like mid-tempo swagger, huge atmospheres and incredibly catchy chorus. It might only be four minutes long, but the synths in particular mean that the word ‘epic’ isn’t far from my lips.

Then there’s ‘Beware of the Dragon’, which was the song that convinced me to delve further into the world of Armored Dawn in the first place. The best way to escribe this monster song is to suggest a marriage of Hammerfall’s pomp and Amon Amarth’s heaviness, with yet another impossibly magnetic chorus. The riffs are massive and uncompromising, the keys bold and the vocals of Parras are some of the best on the entire record.

Following both of these songs is ‘sail Away’, a song that you are most likely to already be familiar with, given that it was the first single released off this album. Undeniably a ballad, it is a stunning piece of music that pushes Parras’ vocals further than ever and will have you singing along, lighter in the air, arm-in-arm with whoever happens to be near you when this song is playing. Sometimes ballads can be the weak link within a metal album. But here, it is one of the jewels in the crown.

Finally, I must doff my cap to ‘Survivor’ which blurs the lines between classic metal and melodic hard rock but comes up smelling of roses when it could easily have served up a large portion of cheese. Others might argue that this is the very definition of cheesy heavy metal, but I love it – it is large, loud and full of headbanging groove; just the kind of thing that we all need to listen to now and again to remind us how fun this kind of music can be and has every right to be. I’m as melancholy as the next person, but even I like to smiler, raise my fist and bang my head occasionally.

Quite literally, Armored Dawn have come out of nowhere and, blindsided, I have been thoroughly beaten into submission. ‘Barbarians In Black’ may not be the most sophisticated, the most complex, or the most original album you will hear in 2018. However, I guarantee that it will be one of the most fun, enjoyable and downright addictive heavy metal listening experiences of the year. I am completely smitten and I hope you will be too.

Our friend the music writer Matt Spall (U.K.) has been working hard on reviewing albums as he usually does. Here is his review of Harakiri For The Sky. You can find Matt tweeting away at the link at the end of this review. --MMB

Artist: Harakiri For The Sky

Album Title: Arson

Label: AOP Records

Date Of Release: 16 February 2018

Another day dawns and with it, another exciting new discovery emerges for the Man of Much Metal. This time, it is the Austrian band Harakiri For The Sky that has grabbed my attention and earned my admiration. I’d heard the name of course but with a name like that, I’d summarily dismissed them as yet another trendy, mainstream metal act, the kind that doesn’t interest me in the slightest.

I’ve since found out that my preconceptions and sniffy attitude over the name was way off the mark, given that ‘hara-kiri’ is the act of ritual suicide by disembowelment with a sword. The things you learn in this line of work, eh?!

Regardless of all this, something made me click the email from the PR company and when I read that Harakiri For The Sky were in fact considered to be a post black metal band, I read on. I’m used to reading a fair amount of hyperbole from PR personnel but when the effusive sender made the following comment, I was sucked in and had to hear what the fuss was about: ‘not only is this one of my favourite records in years, it’s one of the best post-black metal albums I’ve heard period.’

Praise indeed, but having now listened to ‘Arson’, the fourth album from the band, I can’t deny that there is some truth in the bold statement. I wouldn’t go to quite the same lengths, but ‘Arson’ is certainly extremely good and worthy of our attention.

Formed in 2011 in Vienna, Harakiri For The Sky is essentially a duo comprised of multi-instrumentalist M.S. and vocalist J.J., although they have recruited drummer Kerim Lechner for the recording of this album. I must say that I am genuinely staggered at how just three people have managed to make such an unholy and epic racket. At times, the sheer power that accompanies the expansive walls of sound suggests otherwise, tricking the senses into thinking that this is the work of many hands, all toiling away to create something huge and monstrous.

And this latter statement is apt for more than just the deep, rich and multi-layered music itself because ‘Arson’ is not a short record. Comprised of eight songs, it nevertheless extends to the 70-minute mark. With the exception of the closing track, ‘Manifesto’, every other individual composition stretches beyond eight-minutes. Needless to say that ‘Arson’ is not an album for those with short attention spans. Don’t let that put you off though, because this is a record worthy of an investment of time and attention.

At this juncture, it is worth noting that Harakiri For The Sky are not a one-trick pony outfit. And so, although the core of their sound is rooted in post-black metal, their lengthy and undeniably epic songs do contain other influences and ideas. It all helps to keep things interesting and as multi-dimensional as possible within their chosen framework. So expect to hear a hint or two of other elements, including progressive metal, melodic death metal and even a sniff of thrash and dark/doom for good measure.

Opening track, ‘Fire, Walk With Me’ is a stonking opening salvo that leaves nothing at the door and sets the not-inconsiderable tone for the rest of the record. It begins with a piano melody under which a guitar delivers a fast-picked black metal riff, before exploding with huge intensity. The guitar of M.S. continues apace whilst the ferocious double-pedal drumming of Lechner really drives the song forward with intensity. J.J.’s vocals are harsh and screamed with real intent but underneath the apparent extreme metal trappings are some gorgeous melancholy melodies that ensure that the song remains memorable and instantly accessible. There are also just enough changes in tempo to keep things interesting and the shifts between all-out aggression and quieter, contemplative moments increase the dramatic impact of the music.

The intro to ‘The Graves We’ve Dug’ has a genuine Katatonia-esque dark metal feel, whilst the opening riff makes the most of a slower, more measured pace, ultimately giving way to greater speed as the song gets fully into its stride. Again, the sombre, emotional melodies that sit at the heart of the song are striking in both their depth and simplicity, enhanced by almost trade mark moments of quieter, melancholic introspection at certain points.

It’s a close-run thing, but I would probably declare ‘You Are The Scars’ as my favourite song on the entire album. It follows a similar pattern to the aforementioned tracks but for my tastes, the melodies are just that little bit stronger and more poignant. The mournful lead guitar lines that crop up from time to time are beautiful, whilst I really like the variety that sees all-out speed and ferocity bleed effortlessly into sumptuous ambient territory, such as found at around the seven-minute point. And there are the big, chunky guitar notes that catch my ear and have a vague melodeath quality to them. The vocals of J.J. are truly haunting and almost pleading at points too, making you really connect with the music.

If I’m being entirely honest, I do find myself gravitating to the first three or four songs over the second half. I find it hard to pinpoint exactly why this is and after much thought, I can only conclude that it is personal taste and simply that the best songs in my opinion are front-loaded on ‘Arson’. That said, there is no discernible dip in quality per se and others will no doubt disagree with this opinion.

Ultimately, I can only conclude that ‘Arson’ is a real triumph. From crushing despair to fragile hope, the music on this record conveys it all within a rich and vibrant post-black metal sonic tapestry. Harakiri for the Sky are highly recommended for anyone with a penchant for this kind of thing.

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